Please help me find a knitting pattern.

[PrettyCandles]

4yo ds wants me to knit him something out of a colour-changing yarn. (I don't know the proper name, it's yarn that has been incompletely dyed, so that it fades repeatedly from, say, green to white and back again.)

I can do all the basic stitches, including cable and four needles, I just don't have the patience to make anything big. I thought maybe a tank-top?

Any ideas?

Have a look on ravelry.com. I'd search for you but I'm at work and it's blocked.

Oh, and it needs to be an English pattern, I struggle to follow Anerucam patterns.

Honestly, my typing!

"American patterns"

Thanks, BorntoFolk, I'll have a look at that website. (Weird that you can access MN, but not a craft site!)

I know! I live in fear they'll block MN!

I've had a good old browse of that website, and others to which it led me, and have decided that I want to make ds a tanktop with a proper shawl collar.

But I can't find one!

Would it work if I used a pattern for a jumper with shawl collar, and just didn't make sleeves?

I think so. You'd probably need to pick up stitches round the sleeve holes and do some kind of rib edging.
Don't quote me on that though!

Any more knittters around tonight?

Yup, I second borntofolk with the pick up and rib edging suggestion. I think otherwise you should be good to go - good luck!

Be careful what sort of sleeves your jumper pattern has - you would really need set-in sleeves not drop shoulders or raglan sleeves...

Yes, I was wondering whether the boxy, square-outlined sort of sleeve (presumably drop-shoulder is the proper name?) would work, and how I would rib it.

There was a knitted-in-the-round one on Ravelry, but I didn't like the collar.

I think a shawl collar would look better with dropped shoulder than with set-in.

here is this.
You can easily adapt this pattern to have the collar and no sleeves.
There is also a pattern in Patons Play Days that has a sleeveless jumper with a collar.

I have never managed to turn a heel properly. I tried and tried. I taught myself to knit on four needles, but I thnk I need a RL coach to teach me the finer details.

I used to knit deformed tubes socks while travelling on London Underground during rush hour: no-one got too close, those double-ended needles looked scarey!

For turning a heel you need to work on two needles for a while, do a few short rows and then pick up the stitches from the sides of the piece you have knitted. It really is not difficult, especially if you have managed to teach yourself to knit on for needles.

Do you need special yarn to knit socks?

Not if you use the Violet Green Sock Pattern Generator. You can find it via google. You specify the yarn you're using whether that be DK, 4 ply, whatever, then specify size needed and it generates the pattern.

I would say yes to special sock yarn if you actually want to wear them.
I haven't tried the sock generator pattern

I may give socks another try, but not for this project.

Still haven't found a tanktop or pullover pattern with a collar that I like.

what about this?

The collar's not quite right. I want one that crosses over, like this.

Actually, looking at that link, I think I could probably modify the collar myself. The rib looks to be the same all round, no increase to accommodate the fold-over. What do you think?

Have you seen Noro kids?

The yarn sounds like Noro and they are really good patterns which go up to 5-6 years.

There's a fantastic book called The Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns

You can use it to knit in multiple gauges and styles. I can't remember (I have the book but it's at home and I'm at work) if it has directions for a shawl collar but I think it might...

The only downside is that it doesn't have smaller kids sizes (think it starts at a 28" chest)

I'm wondering why you want such a close (warm) neck and no sleeves? I've had a hunt through my books and have not found anything at all that answers both descriptions.
Just nosy.

Ds is quite a toasty boy, yet generally forgets to take his jumper off, so this should be warm under his coat outdoors yet not too hot when he takes only his coat off indoors.

Plus I think a shawl collar will look nice.

Plus I'm too impatient - much rather not have to knit sleeves as well!